Park Township road millage planned for Nov. 4 ballot

Saturday

Jul 12, 2014 at 5:00 PM

By Annette.Manwell@hollandsentinel.com(616) 546-4270

Voters in Park Township will have the option twice Nov. 4 to decide if better roads are worth paying for.Along with the proposed millage from the Ottawa County Road Commission, the Park Township Board of Trustees voted Thursday to add a 0.5 mill question to the ballot as well. The township millage will cover subdivision roads opposed to the primary roads in the township that would be covered by the road commission millage.One mill equals $1 per each $1,000 of a property’s assessed value, so the Park Township proposal would equal 50 cents on each $1,000 of taxable value. Property taxes are calculated by multiplying the property’s assessed value by the mill rate, then dividing by 1,000. A property with an assessed value of $50,000 with a mill rate of 20 mills would have a property tax bill of $1,000 per year.If approved by voters, the millage is expected to raise $460,000 the first year for repairs to subdivision roads.Townships in the state of Michigan are not responsible for any roads within the municipality, unlike cities that are responsible for local roads. County road commissions handle repairs but stick to the primary local roads within the townships.Park Township budgets $200,000 now for repairs, maintenance, repaving or reconstruction to the subdivision roads. A study showed the township would need about $600,000 annually to properly maintain the subdivision streets. The work is still done through the road commission.The Park Township Board of Trustees has discussed road funding for more than one year. Several options were on the table. Part of that time was waiting for a decision from the road commission about its ballot proposal and how it would be used if voters approve it.Ultimately the millage was agreed upon by the board, and voters in Park Township will decide on both tax levies. Some on the board, however, thought asking all the property owners in the township to pay tax that would repair roads for about half the residents was unfair. Township Manager Jerry Felix confirmed about half the township residents live in subdivisions and half live on primary roads.Trustee Michael Toscano said the ballot proposal was the best option because it allows voters to decide. He also proposed amending the ballot language to 10 years instead of the originally proposed four years. The 10-year millage would ensure every subdivision road is paved within the time frame.Township Clerk Skip Keeter voted no to the ballot language. Keeter favored a special assessment and doesn’t think the millage will pass. He is also concerned about the number of proposals on the Nov. 4 ballot. A tax levy versus a special assessment was heavily debated by the board.Others on the board agreed with Keeter, saying the assessment is a better option because those who live on the road would pay for it, but agreed to ballot language to allow voters to decide.— Follow this reporter on Facebook or Twitter, @SentinelNetty.